Servant Leadership
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
at 9:19am
I was just forwarded a Facebook conversation string. A person posted, “Who can you recommend to do a logo?” About 20 people replied and Prophit Marketing showed up several times along with a host of others. This has me thinking about the power of social media. What are people saying about you? What are they saying about your company? Ask Google… if you really want to know. Everybody’s talking—are you listening? Are you contributing?
Social media is really helping the Servant Leadership movement grow quickly. Social media helps hold people accountable to good behavior and business practices. If I were the Better Business Bureau, I would be nervous because all reviews for companies can be found online through a search.
It’s more important now than ever to embrace and understand digital and social media. If you need help or have a few questions, contact me. It’s here and it’s staying, so harness its power to serve your business.
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Do something today to help build your understanding of digital and social media!
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
at 9:50am
Don’t let this title sway you if you don’t happen to be a professional marketer. Marketing simply means effective communication, and communication only occurs when two people leave an interaction and mutually understand what was said. Just because two people have talked doesn’t mean they have communicated.
Marketing occurs throughout your life. The true marketer of oneself is one who has high character. Character is moral maturity and sets the stage for a successful life. How are you marketing to your kids? We often think of marketing as a business term and indeed it is; so, how are you marketing to your department? Do your people know what your department stands for?
On May 24th from 3-5 p.m. at The Marq in De Pere, Dave Skogen, Chairman of Skogen-owned Festival Foods stores, will be our keynote speaker for the next Servant Leaders of Wisconsin (S.L.O.W.) get-together. The S.L.O.W. movement reminds us to slow down and take notice of the little things, because it’s the little things that create great marketing or communication. Space is limited so please RSVP if you’re interested. You can email me at joek@prophitmarketing.com
Don’t just talk, communicate! Learn how on May 24th!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Let us know if you’re interested in attending and how many people you’ll be bringing. See you in May!
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
at 9:34am
I hate to beat a dead horse but this topic has created some pretty exciting attention. Do you remember the two articles I wrote about Salon Fifty Four? If you missed it, here is the short version:
Danica and I own a building with two renters: a restaurant and a salon. The salon owner let us know Thanksgiving weekend that he was shutting down and moving on, leaving two stylists without jobs. Both stylists have young families and depended upon this income. Because we didn’t rely on the income from the salon, it put us in a very unique situation to serve Rossemary and Travis. Danica and I quickly decided to take the salon over ourselves and in three days renamed it Salon Fifty Four. Four weeks ago we discovered another salon in the area that was closing its doors, and now we have 13 employees in our salon!
These new employees have admitted they’ve never been treated with the level of respect from any previous employer. They are rocking the place! This news of the Servant Leadership philosophy got the attention of a local TV station. Please check out this link—I think you’ll enjoy it!
http://wearegreenbay.com/search-results?site=wearegreenbay&offset=0&limit=5&sort=d&searchQuery=salon+fifty+four
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Live to serve!
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
at 10:24am
Humility to me is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking about yourself less. -Jim Hunter, The Servant
Servant Leaders are called upon to be humble. To many folks, they think that means adopting the mantra of: “I’m not all that great and other people are better than me.” That’s not at all the message Servant Leadership is trying to get across.
Rather than directing us to think negatively about ourselves, Servant Leadership provides many suggestions of how we can become more positive, communicate more clearly with others, and become happier people in general.
In this case, being humble requires directing our attention away from our own lives and issues and instead focusing on the people around us. In the office, it means spending more of our energy serving our associates rather than ourselves.
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: This week, when you catch yourself focusing on issues in your own life, make a conscious effort to get up and ask a co-worker how you could make their day a bit brighter. Chances are, you’ll not only feel happier afterwards, but it just may start a cycle of goodwill in the office.
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
at 10:27am
I recently heard this powerful example of Servant Leadership and wanted to share it with you:
“During the American Revolution, a man dressed in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small stronghold. Their leader, from astride his horse, shouted instructions.
The man asked the supervisor why he wasn’t helping.
He answered, “Because, sir, I am a corporal!”
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and joined the exhausted soldiers at work. When the job was complete, he turned to the corporal and said, “Corporal, next time you need more men for a job, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will help you again.”
Too late, an arrogant corporal realized: his new workman was the beloved General George Washington. He also understood why Washington inspired devotion. A true leader is first of all a servant.”
This story reminds us that great power comes from being a humble, selfless leader who is dedicated to a cause. People respect a leader who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty. It’s no wonder a name like George Washington is so respected in our country!
What type of leader are you?
Joe Kiedinger
Action Plan: Attend one of the Servant Leaders of Wisconsin upcoming meetings!
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
at 10:32am
I have a best friend whose name is Todd. My wife says that Todd and I are like women. I said, “What does that mean?” She said, “You talk for hours on the phone.” I must admit that he is the only guy I can talk with for hours on the phone. We text each other every other week or so and then he’ll say, “Wanna go out?” That means, since we are 90 miles away from each other, would you like to connect on the phone tonight. We have a couple of beers, as if we’re going out on the town, and we discuss our business successes and stresses, family successes and stresses, and give each other advice. Sometimes we just listen to each other and offer no actual advice.
Todd owns the Chef’s Hat in Ephraim, Wis. A beautiful café located along the shores of Eagle Harbor. His family lives above the restaurant and enjoys many stunning views from the second floor. The one thing Todd and I have in common is that we both have a strong belief in what we are trying to accomplish. When he started his business, he refused to have fryers and serve fried food. Since starting mine, I have remained committed to the message of Servant Leadership and the Prophit Marketing System.
The momentum is growing because people are finally listening, and, in Todd’s case, they are eating his wonderful culinary concoctions. We both have a long way to go, but my point is this: If something is worth doing, it’s worth being patient for. There are too many talented and innovative people who give up before their ideas have a chance to blossom! Fine wine needs time to ferment. People grow wiser with age and ideas need a chance to sink in. Be patient—the world is depending on it!
Joe
ACTION PLAN: Relax … everything has its time and day. You’ll have yours, too!
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
at 10:06am
Do you know how deep you are? Have you ever had the discussion way down deep where nobody goes? You know that voice that talks to you and says, “you’re not good enough. You can’t do that!” It’s the voice of sabotage. Are you AFRAID to be successful? There is so much you were designed to accomplish so why is it some people are wildly successful and some people, who are often smarter and more talented, only achieve mediocrity? FEAR! So where does the fear come from?
There are people who believe they can only charge X amount for their services. For example, I have seen business consultants who may charge $1500 a day for their services. I have seen similar coaches charge $5,000 a day. There are speakers who can get $30K a speech! Why is that? Well, it’s simple: The high-priced speakers no longer listen to the voice in their head that says, “You can’t charge that!” Oh, they have the voice—they just don’t listen to it.
Now, put money aside … what about starting a movement? Do you think you can start a movement that touches people’s hearts and stimulates their brains? Whether you think you can or can’t … YOU’RE RIGHT! There are a small handful of people who I’ve faced from time to time who cut down my ideas. They’ve tried to sabotage my dream of creating a global community of Servant Leaders. “Impossible!” they say. At times I do have weak moments where I doubt my efforts. Then I shut down that voice inside me that wishes me to fail and I keep pushing. I’m fortunate. There have been other amazing people who have traveled before me on this journey to make my road less stressful. People like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr. In recent years, there has been Robert Greenleaf, Jim Hunter, Tom Thibodeau, the Skogen family and others. Live for what you believe in because nothing else matters!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Shut down your inner voice of sabotage!
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
at 10:10am
My Servant Leadership journey has been a powerful one, this past week especially. On Friday I had the opportunity to spend the day with about 85 of the staff at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wis. This small private Catholic college blew me away as we started the day-long convocation. Fifteen of their staff members led the group in a Servant Leadership reflection, which had my eyes welling up as I stepped up on stage. The reflection lasted only 15 minutes but the quotes and sharing were powerful. I thought I would share some of the quotes that I heard.
Lau Tzu:
”A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.”
John Quincy Adams:
”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are the leader.”
Fr. Keith Clark:
”Next to the words ‘thank you,’ we believe the words ‘what do you think?’ are the most empowering words a leader can speak.”
Joseph P. Chinnici, O.F.M.:
”I believe that when we can see all of this in the same field—then we will catch the ‘bug’… of being a Franciscan intellectual, and we will discover a voice, and we will learn to treasure – in a profound way – each other’s voice; because, no matter what the language, I sit and learn and teach and that way we become brothers and sisters together.”
Although my presence there was to share the VOICE we all have as unique individuals through the lens of Servant Leadership, I left feeling, in the presence of those Servant Leaders, that I gained more than I had to give.
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Use “what do you think” in your conversations at least five times this week.
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
at 10:19am
I hope you enjoy this story.
Background: Danica and I purchased a commercial building over a year ago and have our office on the second floor. The first floor has two tenants who lease from us: a restaurant and a hair salon.
What happened: Over the Thanksgiving holiday, our salon tenant abandoned his lease obligations, took his computer, and sent a text to me saying he was done! There were two stylists still working at the salon. Danica and I immediately reached out to them, and we all met at the salon the Saturday evening of Thanksgiving weekend to discuss the situation.
As you can imagine, these two individuals, Travis and Rossemary, were beside themselves. They were on the verge of panicking. First, their schedule was in the computer that the owner removed. Second, they didn’t know if they still had jobs! Danica and I told them we would take over the salon. We decided to rename it and create a Servant Leadership experience for all its current and future stylists as well as its current and future customers. So that’s what we’re doing. Thank goodness we own a marketing firm! In three days, we renamed it Salon Fifty Four (based partly on its address: 154 N. Broadway, Green Bay), changed the sign and got things moving.
However, through the transition of trying to find existing clients and dealing with the phone change, we are still trying to reach out to let people know that Rossemary and Travis are still in business! I’m hoping you can help me. I would take it as a personal favor if you would be so kind as to schedule one hair cut, color and styling, keratin treatment, or eyebrow waxing or threading. You can call either Rossemary or Travis at 920-432-0601. Bring in this Wisdom and receive 20% off any treatment as a THANK YOU!
I hope you don’t mind this plug. It literally happened so fast but I believe things happen for a reason. We’re excited about this new adventure, and I feel that we’ll be successful in our efforts at making Salon Fifty Four Green Bay’s premier location for talent and experience. Danica is loving it! What’s thrilling for me is that this is an opportunity to take our system and insert it into a hospitality business that we control. Lot’s of fun!
Here’s to the many adventures you will experience in 2012. Remember, with every situation there is an opportunity. Seize them!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Consider liking us on Facebook at facebook/salonfiftyfourgb
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
at 9:58am
Wow, this Servant Leadership movement is spreading like wildfire! Currently we have four cities in Wisconsin that host quarterly Servant Leadership forums. Our chapter here in the northeast part of the state, Servant Leaders of Wisconsin, Fox Valley group, had more than 150 people attend our last meeting. Bob Chapman from Barry-Wehmiller was our guest speaker during the 90-minute gathering.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14 from 1-3 p.m. at The Marq in De Pere. Our guest speaker will be Tom Thibodeau. He is engaging and fantastic! Tom teaches at Viterbo University in La Crosse and heads the only master’s program in Servant Leadership in the state. He received rave reviews when he spoke for 15 minutes at our first meeting back in May. If you attended the Festival Foods Jim Hunter event, Tom spoke on the stage.
Tom’s style and passion for Servant Leadership is based on civility in the community. His vision is to create the first Servant-led state! If you are at all curious on building your family, your business and your life around serving others, please attend our free event. You will be inspired—I guarantee it!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Seating is limited so please e-mail Meredith Bartos at meredithb@prophitmarketing.com to reserve your spot!
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